The Shift
by Len Crator
Summary: Katara is being forced into an arranged marriage with someone from the Northern Water Tribe. Before she leaves, she convinces her parents to let her explore before she becomes tied down. An accident leads her into the arms of a certain fire bender, and when she returns, she brings him home with her. Her tribe is not too happy about that, and neither is her intended. AU
1. The Compromise

**This is an AU story where there is no war, and for the most part, the four nations get along. I am still working on my other story, but I just had to right this chapter. I'm going to make the story M to be on the safe side and to leave myself room for gore and/or sexy times.**

In this story, the Southern Water Tribe is larger than it was in A:TLA, but it is still much smaller than the Northern Water Tribe.

* * *

**Chapter One: The Compromise**

* * *

It was 7:30 in the morning as indicated by the light sheen the sun created on the snow. Snow and ice covered the Southern Water Tribe, and because of that, not too many visitors came to the tribe. They were isolated, and they wouldn't have it any other way. The only other country or nation that the Southern Water Tribe truly cared about keeping up with was the Northern Water Tribe, their larger sister tribe. The people of the Southern Water Tribe hold traditions to be mandatory, and they don't welcome change with open hearts. A meeting was currently being held, and the hot topic was one of the unchanging traditions of the both of the water tribes.

Inside a large, decorative hut, a small council of men and a couple women sat together around a low fire. They had began their meeting an hour earlier discussing the upcoming hunting trip, but they still had much more to deliberate about. The leader of the council was Hakoda: The chief of the Southern Water Tribe, husband to Kya, and father of Sokka and Katara.

"It has come come to my attention that spring is almost here," Hakoda spoke to everyone.

The other council members nodded their heads, they knew which direction Hakoda was heading in. This had been a controversial topic that has been brought up every spring for the past three years, and now Hakoda can no longer put it off.

"As you all know, spring is the time when new relationships are created. It is when two young people become one, and in doing so, their families become bound together," Hakoda cleared his throat before he continued. "Katara has just celebrated her seventeenth birthday two weeks ago, yet she has not been wed."

Several of the council members looked irked by that statement.

"Chief Hakoda, most of the girls get married by the time they are fourteen or fifteen," Ko, a burly middle-aged man stated. "We gave Katara more time because she is your daughter. We agreed that more time was needed to find the chief's daughter a suitable match. She has grown old, and I hope you have some good news for us."

Hakoda mentally sighed.

"Kya and I believe that we have found the perfect match for Katara and for the tribe. His name is Prince Talruk, son of Chief Arnook of the Northern Water tribe."

Several members of the council made a small gasp of approval.

"I have already written several messages to Chief Arnook, and he has agreed with the marriage," Chief Hakoda said proudly. "Katara and Prince Talruk's wedding is currently being planned to be held four months from now. Although we will be losing Katara to the Northern Water Tribe, our bonds with the nation will greatly strengthen."

"This is wonderful news, Hakoda," Kanna said. "Does Katara know about this yet?"

Hakoda looked a little cheeky when he replied, "No, not yet. I will be telling her today at breakfast."

This was actually what Hakoda was most nervous about. Katara had made it very clear in the past that she was not interested in getting married and popping out babies for some misogynistic man; however, they both knew that a day would come when she had to uphold their tribe's traditions.

Hakoda spent the rest of the meeting thinking about the different ways he could potentially break the news to his only daughter.

* * *

Inside a residential igloo, Katara sat underneath a fur blanket while she folded her family's laundry. Her mom had already left to get some breakfast porridge from the food hut located near the center of the tribe. It was now 9:25, she has been awake doing chores for almost an hour now, yet unsurprisingly, Sokka was still snoring in the corner of the igloo. Sokka had never been a morning person, but really, who in the water tribe was?

From the corner of her eye, Katara spied a small whale-bone cup of water. She put the laundry down and walked over to the cup. With a fierce determination and face full of concentration, Katara tried to raise the water into a stream in the air. She was delighted when she succeeded, and she was able to twirl the water around her body. Though a small accomplishment, it was proof enough to Katara that she was slowly getting better at controlling her element. While she continued to play with the water, Katara took several glances around her to make sure no one was around, and that Sokka was still slumbering. In the two water tribes, women were only allowed to use water bending for healing arts, and although what she was currently doing couldn't be considered offensive bending, it was the beginning of her understanding of offensive techniques.

Sokka made a loud noise that was part snort and part cough which made her reflexively drop the water back into the cup, whipping her body around to face him. Luckily, Sokka was still asleep, and even if he had caught her, it wasn't like he would have done anything about it. But Sokka has a big mouth, and she was sure that he would have accidentally let the incident slip to someone. The less Sokka knew, the better.

Katara walked back over to the laundry and picked up where she had left off. Just as she was about to finish, the door to the igloo opened, and her dad walked inside.

"Morning, dad!" Katara called to him happily while she ran over to greet him and give him a hug.

"Morningm Katara," Hakoda said as he spun her in a circle.

They began to chat casually with each other; unfortunately, their commotion woke Sokka up from his peaceful dream. Sokka tried to block their noises out as he tried to fall back asleep.

_Damn laughter._ Sokka thought bitterly to himself as he heard Katara giggle _too_ loudly at something his dad said. Sokka groaned when he finally accepted defeat, and tried to get himself out of his small sleeping mattress. He stood up and started to walk towards his family, staggering dangerously every other step.

"G' morning, guys," Sokka lazily greeted with a surprised yawn.

Katara and Hakoda both greeted Sokka, and they all moved closer towards the center of the igloo.

"Katara, please start setting the eating table… Sokka, go fetch a pitcher of water for us, Kya should be here at any moment." Hakoda commanded his children. "We have some things to discuss this morning."

"Got it, dad!" Katara almost sang, running to retrieve cups, plates, and spoons before placing them on a slightly raised table on the floor.

"Right away, Chief," Sokka groggily mumbled to his father.

Sokka put on his boots and parka, and was half a step out the door when his dad stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"What?" Sokka asked.

"Son, you're not going to get too far without this," Hakoda replied his son, and placed a watcher putter into his hand.

"O-oh," a slightly embarrassed Sokka stuttered.

He took the pitcher and left, leaving Hakoda and Katara to share a laugh at his expense.

After Katara finished setting the table, she and Hakoda took a seat next to each other on some floor cushions that surrounded the table.

"So…" Hakoda started apprehensively. "How has your water bending been coming?"

Katara whipped her head up, and looked at him. For a moment, she was scared that he somehow found out that she was attempting, emphasis on the attempting, illegal bending moves.

"What do you mean?" She tried to sound natural.

"I was just curious about whether or not you made any improvements with your healing abilities," Hakoda clarified.

Relief rushed over Katara, and a small smile was brought onto her lips.

"Oh, well, not too much progress has been made. It's tough, I'm the only bender in the Southern Water Tribe, learning without a teacher has proved to be a challenge. Someday, I would like to go to the Northern Water Tribe to learn proper technique."

Hakoda felt his own rush of relief, he now potentially had an _excuse_ that he could use when he told Katara about the arranged marriage.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem soon," Hakoda mentioned quietly.

Katara became slightly suspicious by his vague response, but she ended up ignoring it. He was bound to at some point send her to the north to get lessons, or have a teacher come to her tribe. Some way or another, she was going to learn. She just wished that she could somehow further her offensive bending skills as well.

Thinking about learning water bending reminded her of the fact that in her seventeen years of life, she has yet to have ever step foot away from the Southern Water Tribe. This was something that made her a little sad. Katara had always wanted to experience different cultures, eat different types of cuisine, wear foreign clothing; La, just seeing another water bender would be an amazing thing for her. A year ago, she had been hopeful that her dad would take her to the Northern Water Tribe on one of his political visits, but it didn't happen. She was really upset about that because she felt like it was a huge missed opportunity for her to actually be able to use her bending in any sort of useful way. She never knew the real reason why she wasn't allowed to go; and Hakoda was not willing to let her know that on that on that particular trip, the Northern Water Tribe had banned women from joining.

"Dad?" Katara hesitently asked.

"Yes, Katara?"

"Do you think you can take me to the Northern Water Tribe the next time you go?"

Hakoda smiled, "Of course, but I think you might be going there sooner than that."

"What?" Katara couldn't believe what she had heard.

Had her father just implied that she was going to be able to go soon? Her face lit up with excitement as she contemplated what he just told her. She thought about it, and realized that he implied that he wouldn't be going with her. This confused the water bender. Previously, she had never been allowed to leave her home tribe, and she was hardly ever alone. Her parents were very doting, and _very_ protective. The thought of her dad not accompanying her to a new country made little to no sense to her. She was about to ask him what he meant, but before she could, the door to the igloo swung open.

"Good morning you two!" Kya happily announced her arrival.

Katara and Hakoda both enthusiastically greeted Kya as she walked over to them. She set the pot of porridge down in front of them and on top of the table. Katara unconsciously leaned forward to smell the sweet smell of the porridge. Kya lifted the lid off of the porridge and tossed in a couple handfuls of dried huckleberries into the pot. She stirred them into the porridge, and the heat started to break down some of the berries. This happened to be one of Katara's favorite food to eat for breakfast, but only on rare occasions did they ever have it. Huckleberries were grown and exported by the Fire Nation, and because of how isolated the Southern Water Tribe was, anything like them were generally rare and expensive. Katara couldn't help but wonder why it was being served today. She didn't ponder if for too long, she was just happy to be able to eat some.

"How are you doing this morning, Katara?" Kya genially asked her.

"Well, I woke up early enough to get half of my chores done. I was almost done with the laundry when dad came home," Katara replied. "The food smells wonderfully by the way."

"You're such a good girl, and I know how much you enjoy porridge mixed with fruit," Kya said thoughtfully. "This porridge is made of several different types of oats, and instead of water... I spent a little extra money, and had it made with coconut milk. I also have some extra huckleberries for you to ear later as a snack if you would like."

Katara was surprised. Coconut milk was another export from the Fire Nation. Actually it was a _huge_ export from the Fire Nation, and it happened to also be an expensive product. Her parents were very frugal people, usually only spending money out of necessity. She had only tasted coconut milk on two previous occasions, both being at wedding celebrations, and from what she could remember, she loved it. She had no idea why her mom was going all out on breakfast, but she sure wasn't complaining.

"Wow, thanks mom! Huckleberries are some of my favorite fruits," Katara considered what she had just said for a moment. "Then again... I really haven't tried too many types of fruits before."

Long story short, icy tundra didn't make for the most hospitable terrain for plants to thrive on.

"It's my pleasure, sweet heart," Kya said, planting a kiss on the side of Katara's face.

"What is taking Sokka so long?" Hakoda pretended to complain. "This food smells delicious, and that boy is preventing me from enjoying breakfast."

As if on cue, Sokka nonchalantly waltzed into the igloo.

"No one panic! Sokka is here!" Sokka announced. "Ironic, no?, that the non-bender of the family is the one put in charge of water?"

"Hello to you too, deary," Kya smiled at him.

Sokka poured everyone a cup of water, and soon the four of them started to dig into their bowls.

"Oh my sweet BOOMERANG! This. Is. _Amazing_." Sokka exclaimed.

Katara made a happy grunt in agreement with her older brother's statement. The food was perfectly balanced with the right ammount of sweetness, and just a hint of salt.

"I'm glad you two like it," Kya said, her eyes glistening with amusement and slight apprehension.

Kya looked at Hakoda, and he nodded at her. This was probably the best time as any to drop the bomb on Katara. This could go one of three ways.

accepts without an issue, realizing that this will further help her tribe, and it is one of her duties to commit to. Also, she might thank them for setting her up with a prince.

2. Katara accepts, but really would rather not. She knew it was bound to happen, and she did get a couple extra years than most girls in the tribe,

3. Katara blows the entire situation out of proportion, so mommy and daddy will have to use all reasoning skills in order to get her to see things from their point of view. She will fight back, but eventually accept because she doesn't want to let her home tribe down.

"Katara," Hakoda addressed his daughter.

"Yes?" Katara replied with a mouth full of oats.

"You've been seventeen for half a month now... And you have grown into a beautiful young woman. Kya and I have never been more proud of you."

The tone of Hakoda's voice, the wording he used, and the slight nervous twitch, Katara wasn't sure she was going to like where this conversation was heading. The glances that Hakoda and Kya kept shooting at each other didn't help ease any worry that Katara felt bubbling inside of her. Sokka, on the other hand, was too busy stuffing his face to even notice the conversation around him.

"Thank you?" Katara wasn't completely sure on how to reply to her father.

"Honey," her mom's melodious voice broke the brief silence. "You know the ways of our tribe very well, and I know that you are the type of person that would do anything to maintain the integrity of the Southern Water Tribe."

"Ok..." the Daughter sounded nervous.

"By now, I'm sure most of your friends have already been married, and I would bet that quite a few of them have already had their first child."

_No. No. No. This is not going where I think it's going. Katara panically thought to herself._

Her father now spoke up, "Kya and I have spent years trying to find you the perfect match. It has taken us a long time, but we are confident in our choice."

"It is time for you to learn the joys and happiness of marriage, Katara," Kya said softly, yet fondly.

"What?" Katara's voice broke. "Why now? I don't understand. You didn't force me to marry a year ago or two years ago, why now?"

"You are over due for marriage, sweetie," Kya tried to explain. "This is a tradition of our tribe and our sister tribe. It wouldn't look good if the chief of the Northern Water Tribe's daughter was unwed for too much longer. Also, it will be good for you. Marriage is a wonderful thing, and it has treated me well."

"Is that what it's all about?!" Katara started to raise her voice. "It wouldn't 'look good?' Is that all I am to you guys?"

Of course Katara knew that wasn't true, but she was hurt enough to the point that she felt justified saying that. How could her own parents do such a thing to her?

"Now, that's no way to speak to your mother," Hakoda warned.

At this point, Sokka decided to listen in on the controversial conversation.

"Sorry," Katara replied, casting her eyes to the side.

"Look, Katara. It's really not that bad." Hakoda tried to appease her. "The man that we have chosen for you is a good man. I have met him a few times already, and from what I've seen, he's impressive."

Yippee. Katara sarcastically thought. She had to contain a eye roll that would have been power packed with attitude.

"The young man's name is Prince Talruk, son of Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe," Kya informed her upset daughter.

It all made sense now to Katara! The vague conversation with her dad and the expensive breakfast that she had just eaten. They were trying to get her into a good mood! Katara felt betrayed by them, but she knew that her time was going to come. And apparently, this was her time. Of course, that didn't mean she had to go down without a fight.

"You're shipping me off to the Northern Water Tribe?" Katara gasped out.

For a moment Hakoda and Kya shared a small hope that maybe this made Katara happier. She now had a prospect of getting an actual water bending teacher. That hope was squashed by their daughter's next sentence.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Kya and Hakoda gaped at Katara, and a moment of silence enveloped the room.

"Absolutely not!" Hakoda and Kya both exclaimed at the same time.

"How could you say that? We love you from the bottom of our hearts!" Kya passionately said.

"But you're going to sell me off to a man in a foreign country? Why couldn't it have been someone from our tribe?"

"Katara, you're my daughter. I want what is best for you. I don't think there is a better match for you than the son of the Northern Water Tribe's chief." Hakoda explained.

"Also," Kya cut in, "this way you will be able to get a water bending master that can teach you to be proficient in the healing arts. It's a great opportunity, one that you will not get here."

That almost shut Katara up, almost.

"What if my future husband decides that he doesn't want his wife to be a bender? What then?"

It was a legitimate concern. Katara wasn't just making up stuff for the point of arguing. It was known that some Northern Water Tribe men forbid their wives from using water bending, even if it was just for healing. Some believed that bending led to wives acting up―that it gave them too much freedom. Women should just leave water bending to the men.

"Although that is a horrible thing, Talruk would never do such a thing. I'm sure as future chief, having a water bending wife would be an asset to him." Hakoda guessed.

Hakoda was pretty sure this would be Prince Talruk's decision, but he was not 100% positive.

In a curt manner, Katara said, "Tell me more about him."

Hakoda was the one to speak, "He is twenty-five, first in line to become chief. He's a fantastic warrior and hunter. He has a beautiful, younger sister that is a year older than you. And he is more than capable to provide for you and any children that the two of you will have."

Katara inwardly shrunk back when she noticed that her dad said "will have" instead of "might have." It was expected of her to have children, whether she wanted to or not.

"Wait a minute here," Sokka spoke with a very suspicious tone to his voice. "You guys actually found a guy that would want to... Want to marry this thing?!" He laughed and pointed his finger at Katara.

He noticed that no one found him funny, and suddenly realized that this entire jibber jabber talk about marriage had actually been a seirous conversation.

"You can't marry Katara off!" Sokka sounded quite alarmed. "She's my baby sister! I don't want a guy to kiss her.. Or... Or touch her! Tui! I don't want a guy to even look in her general direction! Uh uh. No way, no how."

Katara was actually very touched by the way her brother stood up for her. She wanted to hug him and thank him for what he said. She also had a quick second of amusement when she saw her parents' expressions in response to their son's outburst.

"Sokka," Hakoda calmly spoke. "I am happy that you care about your sister, but this is not your place to speak on matters such as this."

"But-" Sokka tried to speak.

"I'm sorry, Sokka. Whom Katara marries, you have no control over."

Sokka looked defeated.

"Sorry, sis. I tried."

"It's ok, Sokka. Thanks anyways." Katara thanked her brother.

Katara, Kya, and Hakoda debated and discussed with each other about the arranged marriage for the next forty or so minutes, every once in a while being interrupted by Sokka. The bickered on and on, but the parents could tell that Katara was slowly losing ground. Katara also knew that she was only moments away from fully, yet grudgingly, agreeing to the marriage.

Before she could do that, she blurted out, "How about we make a compromise then?"

Perplexed by their daughter's sudden change of pace, Hakoda and Kya remained silent to allow Katara to ellaborate. The fact that she was now bargaining showed that she was so close to breaking. Kya gave her a look that Katara took as a signal to keep speaking.

"You guys know that I've never been beyond the Southern Water Tribe."

"Yes," Hakoda said, he wans't quite sure where she was going with this.

"I've always wanted to travel, but we all know that the moment I marry into the Northern Water Tribe, there is a very good chance that I would never be able to leave the Northern Water Tribe... With the exeption of the occasional visit to the south. The moment I marry, I will lose any small chance that I might possibly have to exploring the world."

Hakoda hated to admit it, but what Katara said could very well be true. It all depended on the huband, and even if the hudband was open to travel, water tribes tended to prefer isolationism. Interactions between other countries was very minimal.

"Please, continue," Kya said.

"I will agree to the marriage," both Kya and Hakoda's eyes lit up at that statement. "I will agree under one condition."

"Does the condition have to do with leaving the tribe?" Hakoda asked.

"Yes, I will only marry Prince Talruk if you two allow me to travel outside of the Southern Water Tribe and experience life away from home. I don't even care if it's just to the Northern Water Tribe, I just want to have a few months of freedom. It would also be nice to be able to learn how to heal now, in case my future husband decides against be getting educated."

Hakoda pondered this for a few minutes. He looked over at his wife, and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was already sold on the idea. It might be good for Katara to familiarize herself with the North before she permanently moved there.

"Ok," Hakoda simply said.

Katara could barely believe what she heard come from her dad's mouth. Had really just agreed? Was she finally able to leave the Northern Water Tribe and explore?

"Really?" She tried not to sound too surprised.

"Yes, Katara. This actually might be good for you in the long run. I think you should do it... But seeing as you're scheduled to get married in just over four months, you will need to leave soon. That way you'll be able to come back her, so we can spend some time with you before you are married."

"When do you think I should leave?" Katara asked.

"I think that you should leave to go north in no more than two days. It's a long journey to and back, so we should give you as much time as possible. I'll try to assemble some people to take you there, or I'll see if there are any traders that are planning on going that can take you."

"Thank you, dad and mom," Katara choked out.

"I love you so much, Katara. I know you won't regret this decision." Kya said, pulling her only daughter into a tight embrace.

Hakoda moved closer to them and joined in with them, circling his arms around his girls.

"Aww, group hug!" Sokka announced as he flung himself on the rest of his family.

* * *

In the end, Hakoda had found a small Southern Water Tribe ship carrying traders that were planning on heading to the Northern Water Tribe. They readily agreed to take Katara with them, and reassured her parents that they were good sailors.

It was now the day for Katara to head off on her little adventure. She was beyond excited, but she was also full of nervous energy. She had never been away from home, but here she was, about to leave without any of her family members. She had to remind herself that she wanted... _Needed_ this, and she would just have to be brave and get over the butterlizards in her stomach. Katara only had a small bag of her belonging with her, and she stood at the edge of the beach with the bag strapped across her body. She looked at her family before her, and she hugged all three of them for a long time.

"Bye mom, dad, Sokka! I'm going to miss you all so much! I love you all!" Katara forced out―breaths away from having tears come down her face.

"I love you, sweetie. And I am so proud of you." Kya whispered to her daughter as she held her close.

"Be safe, Katara. I love you." Hakoda said emotionally.

"Sis, you know I love you. Please take care. If anyone hurts you... I'll kill them!"

Sokka ended up bursting into tears, then he hugged her for dear life. Sokka crying was the catalyst that made Katara cry. She was going to miss them all, but she had to do this for herself. Besides, what could go wrong? She was just going to their sister tribe, it wasn't like she was never going to see them again. But that still didn't change the fact that she was leaving alone for the first time ever, this will be the longest she has ever been away from her family. After a couple for goodbyes and goodbye hugs, Katara boarded the small ship, and waved farewell as the ship sailed further and further away.

* * *

It had already been two days since Katara left her home. The first night was the hardest for her, but she soon learned that she loved sailing. Being in the open water, surrounded by her element even though she couldn't control it well, was an unexplainable feeling. There was also something to be said about not being completely surrounded by snow and ice, and the sky was beautiful at night. The scenerely from the boat alone was enough to make the trip worth it in Katara's eyes, and this made Katara anticipate the Northern Water Tribe more and more. She had been told that the sister tribe was much larger than her own tribe, and that they had tall buildings made purely out of ice thanks to the expert water benders. She could not wait to see them. She once briefly entertained the idea that maybe one day she'll be a good enough bender to be able to create buildings.

Katara was told a few hours ago that they were about three days from the Northern Water Tribe, and normally the trip was usually quicker, but the little ship they were on wasn't too fast. Katara didn't mind though, she just enjoyed being able to feel the fresh sea-breeze blow over her face.

On the third morning, Katara joined the traders for breakfast. They talked about their wives and children, and had admitted to Katara that they too were products of arranged marriages. They had told her that it had been awkward and tough at first, but they were able to learn to love their wives. This relieved Katara a little while at the same time, put her on edge. She didn't think one should have to _learn_ to love someone. It should come naturally. But they had made the best out of the situations that was given to them, and she hoped that she would be able to as well. Near the afternoon, one of the sailors commented on how the clouds indicated that a storm was coming, and he suggested to Katara that she might want to take cover in a few hours.

Several hours later, it had lightly rained on the ship, but nothing major. The sailors smiled at their luck, Tui and La must have blessed their journey with good wind and few storms. Katara was walking around the deck, trying to entice some of the rat-pigeons with a few pieces of bread. They ate hungrily from her hand. One of the sailors made a comment about how they were nothing more than frog-rats with wings. She followed one of the rat-pigeons to the tip of the bow of the boat, and she gave some food to the little guy. While she grabbed onto one of the hand guards at the tip of the boat, she looked out towards the horizon. The sky was beautiful, and she felt mesmerized. Off to the distance, to her surprise, Katara saw a ship chugging along in the ocean. It looked much much larger than the one she was on, and it had distinct shades of red on it. She was going to ask about what type of ship it was when a sudden gust of strong win collided with her, knocking her onto the wooden deck. Before she could even get up, she heard panicked screams all around her.

"It's a storm! A storm's coming!" One of the sailors yelled as loudly as he possibly could.

Confusion overtook Katara. Storm? What storm? Just mere minutes ago the weather was beautiful, but as she looked at the vast, open sky, the quickly darkening clouds put fear into her. She staggered to her feet at the same moment a heavy rain crashed down on the ship. She took unbalanced steps as she tried to get to the center of the ship where she would be able to go underneath. She was only about twelve more feet away when a part of the mast broke off and slammed into her abdomen. With a surprised and painful gasp, Katara was knocked back off of her feet. Katara used all of her muscle strength to push the piece of wood off of her body. Before she stood up again, she noticed that angry waves ferociously attacked the sides of the boat, sending the boat into jagged rocking motions. The crew was in a state of panic, and so was she. There was yelling everywhere which only helped to confuse the poor girl even more. She decided to try to go underneath the deck again, so she got back on her feet to walk over. She walked a few feet when one large, nasty wave collided with the opposite side of the boat that she was on. This cause the boat to dramatically lurch to her side. Suddenly very unbalanced, Katara lost her footing, and she helplessly felt herself slide of the side of the boat, and into the freezing cold water. Katara was able to swim, and being from a water tribe, she was used to cold weather; however, she was not prepared for the chill she got by being submerged in the icy ocean. She sputtered and coughed―desperately trying to stay alive. Long forgotten by the sailors and traders, Katara's swimming technique became more and more desperate. Another large wave crashed right into her, sending her far away from the ship. The discombobulation experienced by the sudden strike and the cold now settling both led to a rapid decrease in Katara's stamina.

Katara made one last futile attempt by kicking her legs with a burst of energy, sending her head out of the water while she hacked up sea water that she accidentally swallowed. The cold was now becoming unbearable, and if she wasn't sure if she was going to die from drowning or freezing first. She took an instinctual sharp intake of breath, in doing so filled her throat and lungs full of salty water. The thrashing water bender started to cough uncontrollably while she began to slowly drown. Her head began to clear, and she could no longer focus on anything, Katara faintly heard a splashing noise twenty or so feet away from her, but she wasn't able to focus on it. She had already lost all feeling in her body, and it seemed to her that something was telling her to just let go. And that's what she did. Her body became limp, and the waves began to take her. On the verge of losing consciousness, the last thing Katara could remember, though she wasn't sure if it was a dream or not, was the upper half of her body being lifted out of the water.

"Please- …. Hang o-... -most -ere..." As Katara drifted in and of consciousness, she could here a strained voice, though she could hardly make out any of the words.

* * *

"How is she doing?" A newly awaken Katara heard a young man ask.

Although she was awake, she could barely call herself fully aware. Her body still felt thoroughly numb, and she was either too tired, or she didn't have the energy to open her eyes.

"It's only been an thirty-five minutes since you pulled her onto the ship," Said a voice that sounded much older than the first voice.

"You and I both know that hypothermia could easily kill her, is she still in the danger zone?" The first voice asked.

_La I hope not. Katara dazedly thought to herself._

"I would like to say that she's in the clear, but I think she must have spent a long time in the water. I am worried about her."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"How come you're so Agni-bent on helping her?" The older voice asked.

"Look, I just jumped into far too cold water to save this girl. There is no way my efforts are going to waste." The younger boy argued.

"Ok, fine, whatever you want. Actually a big help for her would be to have you regulate and share some of your body heat with her. You are a natural furnace after all, and it'd probably be her best bet to live."

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" She distantly heard the younger voice ask.

She could have sworn she heard the sound of metal hitting the ground, followed by a clunk of a pair of boots being tossed aside, then finally a soft sound of fabric hitting the ground.

"How long do you think I should warm her?" The younger voiced asked.

"I would say until her complexion looks healthier... And maybe a few more minutes after that to be on the safe side. I'll leave you to it. I'll be back in a little bit to check on on her."

She heard some footsteps, a door open, and then the sound of a door being clicked shut. She then heard soft footsteps approach her. Although she couldn't feel it, the shift in her balance alerted her that he was pushing her lying form onto her side. She heard the bed dip and the blankets move, and though faint, she was able to feel a body press against her back and wrap around her front. She had to concentrate fairly hard to be able to hear the faint, almost nonexistent breathing of the person behind her. About five or so minutes later, she was fascinated by the fact that she could feel a warm tingle. Slowly, her body began to feel warmer and warmer―the warmth began to comfort, and feeling safe for the first time that evening, she allowed her self to be lulled to sleep by the waves of heat being mysteriously emitted by some stranger.

* * *

The sound of the begging seagulls brought Katara out of her warm slumber. She tried to stretch the fatigue away, but was alarmed by the sudden pain that cascaded throughout her body. Her eyes snapped open, and she suddenly became very afraid. She had no idea where she was. She was lying on her side on a bed inside of a small, bare room that was painted white. She then noticed, much to her shock and horror, arms wrapped firmly around her collarbone and abdomen. At that moment, she also noticed that whatever warmth that she was feeling was coming from whoever was tangled around her. She wasn't sure what she should do, she could foggily remember a storm on the ship that she was on earlier, but that was it. To add to her stress, aside from family members, Katara had never been in such close courters with a member of the opposite sex. This would be considered extrememly innapropriate in either of the water tribes. Katara stirred a litte, trying to wiggle free of the stranger's grasp. In doing so, she had involuntarily woken up the guy. The stranger unwrapped his limbs from her, and sat up next to her.

"Glad to see you're alright," a voice that seemed slightly familiar to her spoke.

Katara forced herself to turn around so she could get a look at the person. When her body finally obeyed her, she was treated by a full view of the person's chest. This made Katara flustered. It was a nice, hard chest. She looked up further, embarrassed, and took in his face. The stranger had shaggy black hair, and a pale face with golden eyes, but there was one dominating characteristic. On the left side of his face, there was a huge scar that took over most of it. All in all, the stranger was pretty attractive, and he couldn't have been that much older than she.

"Why... Why am I here?" Katara was able to say.

"You fell overboared your ship, almost drowned. Luckily I was able to get you in time." The boy replied.

"Do you know what happened to the ship?" She then asked.

"Last I heard, the ship took off, they seemed to be heading northward."

Katara sadly realized that they had left without her.

"Hey, don't feel so down," the young man said to her. "You almost died last night, but here you are."

Katara felt slight stressed when she asked, "Why were... are you in the same bed as me?" And then suddenly Katara noticed something, "And am I wearing these clothes?!"

"Oh, that's simple. You were this close to catching hypothermia," the boy held his fingers out demonstrating how close she was. "I shared my body heat to keep you alive. I guess I must have fallen asleep somewhere along the way. And as for your change of clothes, well we couldn't leave you in your soaking wet outfit, I just slipped this robe on to replace your clothing. Don't worry, I may be a teenaged boy, but in life or death situations I think modesty hardly matters."

"Oh. Thank you."

"It's ok. Don't mention it. My name is Zuko by the way." The boy offered an outstretched hand.

"My name is Katara, and I would shake your hand, but I can't seem to get my body to sit up straight."

Zuko gave a light chuckle before he helped Katara into a sitting position with her back against the headboard. They then shook hands.

"So what exactly is going on? Where am I? I'm so confused. All I can remember is being on a ship heading to the Northern Water Tribe, and then the next thing I know I was thrown into the ocean... And then I woke up here." Katara was obviously close to panicking.

"You're water tribe? That makes so much sense. I haven't seen to many people of your type. Well, Katara, you're on a Fire Nation navy ship that is currently on its way to the Fire Nation." Zuko told Katara.

"Fire Nation?" Katara said allowed in wonder.

"The one and only. But, hey, if you're trying to go to the Northern Water Tribe, I'm sure I could find you someone that would be willing to take you with them." The navy soldier offered.

Katara was about to agree to his offer, but just before she replied with an affirmative, something inside of Katara stopped her. That was her thirst for adventure. This was her chance. Originally, she was just going to visit the Northern Water Tribe, and that would be it. She now had the opportunity to go to the Fire Nation! It was the home of coconut milk and huckleberries! She could have the opportunity to actually eat those foods fresh, and she had a great chance to absorb their culture. This was, for someone like her, a once in a life time opportunity. She knew she would forever regret not taking it if she decided to go to the Northern Water Tribe instead.

"No, that's ok. It's not that important. I've never visited the Fire Nation before, and I would love to. I've heard some wonderful things about the country."

"If that's what you want," Zuko said, but then he seemed to have remembered something. "Not to be ruse or anything, but how do you plan on getting around? When I pulled you out of the water, you didn't have any belongings on you except for what you were wearing. Which means that the only pair of clothing you have would be the blue tunic over there with your pants." Zuko gestured to a chair where her clothing hung while they dried. "I'm going to assume you have no money on you. What do you plan on doing when we dock in one of the Fire Nation's sea port towns?"

Katara thought over what Zuko informed her, and she defeatedly admitted that it was all true.

With a sigh, Katara said, "I don't know. Maybe..." She was about to give up and accept his offer to find someone to take her to the Northern Water Tribe.

"I know. I can show you around if you don't mind." Zuko so kindly offered.

"What? Really? Why?" Katara was very surprised.

"When we dock, I'll be off duty for a while, and I don't plan on going home. I don't have anything better to do. Also, I'm not too fond of the idea of you walking around the Fire Nation penniless, begging on the streets. It could be fun."

Katara considered his offer. Here it was, the golden opportunity, and she was going to take it. Water Tribe customs and tradtions be damned, she was going to have some fun. In the back of her mind she knew her tribe would have a heart attack if they knew she was going to be traveling with a teenage boy, that was not her intended, that she had just met. Zuko appeared to be a nice boy, and so far hadn't shown any of the typical sexist behavior that most water tribe men have. So she currently didn't quite care what the tribe might think about her.

"Ok," Katara took Zuko up on his offer.

* * *

**And that's chapter one! Please R&R!**


	2. Conflicting Interests

**Chapter Two: Conflicting Interests  
**

* * *

A fire burned away, performing its role as the main source of heat for two water tribe men as they went ice fishing on the outskirts of the Northern Water Tribe. Father and son were bonding over the sport, and it proved to be fruitful from their overstuffed bag of fish. The older man watched his son move with pride, he truly was the prize of the Northern Water Tribe. Soon, his first born son will have a wife which is why Arnook brought Talruk to a secluded area so they could talk privately about his future wife and the tribe's expectations. It was hard for him to believe that the wedding ceremony was just four months away, and it was time for him to tell his son about his future bride.

"Talruk, we need to discuss a few things about your upcoming wedding."

"I couldn't agree more," said Talruk. "I have a few questions myself."

"And I will try to answer them as fully as possible. But first, how is the betrothal necklace coming?"

Although the two tribes inhabited opposite ends of the world, they shared many customs—the betrothal necklace was no exception. If the necklace was made poorly, the bride's family could take it as an insult, and they would have the right to end the marriage or request compensation. The betrothal necklace represented the dedication the groom would have for his wife and how important their daughter meant to him. Although the Water Tribes were patriarchal, families wouldn't just send their daughters off to just anyone.

Talruk groaned in frustration to his father's question, "I've been trying to make one, but I've ended up breaking every single stone so far. If this girl wasn't the daughter of the South's chief, I wouldn't have to worry about making the design so intricate."

At this, the chieftain couldn't help but let out a deep, throaty laugh.

"Believe me, son, I know the pain of carving a betrothal necklace that's acceptable for the girl's social status. Just keep with it, and eventually you'll make something that'll work."

Talruk just nodded his head to what his father said while wondering why he had to make such an outstanding betrothal necklace. Sure, she was the daughter of the chief of the South, but she also came from the South. Why would he, the future chief of the _Northern_ Water Tribe, have to put so much effort into this? If anything, his betrothed parents should count their lucky stars that they were able to marry their daughter into the North.

"Father, remind me again, please, why I'm marrying a girl from the Southern Water Tribe?"

Arnook sighed. Generally, northerners looked down on the southerners, so he knew eventually his son would question his decision.

"Katara of the Southern Water Tribe is the daughter of the chief. Your marriage will strengthen the bond between the two tribes. Although we currently live in a time of peace, one can never have too many allies."

"Yes, father. I understand that, but you could have had someone else marry her. Why me?"

"My son, you make me proud. It is true, there is an ulterior motive to you marrying Katara."

This peaked Talruk's interest.

His son's silence pushed Arnook to elaborate, "I have been told by several reliable sources that Katara is the only water bender in the South. They are practically throwing her at us, how could we say no? Water benders are very symbolic of the water tribes, so if we have all of them, we will have even more control over the South."

Talruk made an expression of understanding, and with that he fully accepted his future bride.

"One thing though, you must keep your wife on a short leash. Those from the Southern Water Tribe are more liberal with their women than we are, it is truly barbaric. It's evidence enough that they are looser with traditions from the fact that your wife is already seventeen years old! Our own Yue married by the time she was fourteen, it's just incredible that the South would allow such a shameful thing to happen to their closest thing to royalty."

Arnook was clearly displeased with how old Katara was. The Southern Water Tribe was immoral in his eyes, especially since they had more contact with traders from the the other countries aside from the Northern Water Tribe. Nothing good could come from interacting with the Fire Nation or and of the earth kingdoms, they were all too liberal. Arnook feared that if exposed enough, the Southern Water Tribe might forget their ways and traditions, and replace them with customs from the other countries. If this were to ever happen, the North would lose some control over the South. Worse, his own tribe might think that the immoral ways of the earth kingdoms and especially the Fire Nation are okay to commit. Women fighting in the military, what was the Fire Nation thinking? Arnook was not about to let the water tribes become corrupt. If his plans go accordingly, the Northern and Southern Water Tribes will become tightly united, and he can prevent any outside influence affecting the tribes.

"I agree, father. I've heard rumors of my future wife. Rumors that she talks back to the men talking to her, and that she talks out of place all the time. I'm sure that once she learns to always follow my lead and command, we will be very happy together."

"I would also suggest," Arnook began. "that you monitor her bending. And don't let her bend in the public, that could reflect poorly onto you. The people of the tribe might think you don't have good control over your wife."

"Do not worry, I'm one of the North's greatest warriors. I'll be able to handle any woman."

* * *

Katara was sitting on the edge of her designated bed. She testingly pressed the pads of her feet onto the floor, slowly putting weight on them. She was having a pleasant conversation with Zuko earlier, but unfortunately the sailor had to leave to attend to his duties. Shortly after he had left, Katara fell back asleep due to exhaustion. When she woke up, she noticed a glass of water had been placed by the side of her bed along with a couple pieces of toast. That had been the same meal she had prepared many times for Sokka when he came back home from a night out drinking with friends. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of a drunk Sokka. After she ate her food and drank her water, she gave herself the goal to be able to stand on her two feet. She shifted some more weight onto the balls of her feet, and then she pressed her heals on the ground as well.

_You can do this, Katara. _The water tribe girl thought to herself.

She moved to shift the rest of her body weight onto her feet and into a standing position, but during the process, she felt pain emit throughout her abdomen. This caused her to stumble and fall onto the floor just as the door to her room opened.

"Ouch!" Katara gasped as her body attacked the floor.

"Katara?" She heard Zuko's worried voice as she heard him trot over to her.

"Ouch..." She groaned while lying on the floor, holding her stomach.

Zuko bent down beside her, and tried to roll her onto her back. At this, Katara protested by curling up even further around her abdomen.

"You got a pretty nasty bruise on your chest and stomach, I should've warned you about it." Zuko told her.

"It hurts so much," Katara choked out, trying to prevent herself from crying.

"The pain medication must be wearing off right now, once we get you back onto the bed, I'll get you some more."

Zuko tried again to reposition Katara's body, but the girl was having none of that. She stayed in a protective ball on the floor—letting a whimper out every now and then.

"Katara, I know it hurts, but you're going to have to work with me. I'm going to pick you up and put you on the bed, do you think you can handle that?" Zuko tried to keep his voice calm and soothing, but he was becoming increasingly worried as he watched Katara twitch on the floor.

"I think so," she quietly told him.

With her hesitant confirmation, Zuko walked over to the bed, pushed the blankets to the end, and repositioned the pillow. With the bed in the condition he wanted, he walked back over to Katara's form on the ground. He kneeled down next to her, and he placed his hands on her back and hip.

"Ok, I'm going to shift you over, pick you up, and place you on the bed."

Before Katara could even acknowledge what he had just said, Zuko flipped her body into his arms, whisked her into the air, and had her lying on her bed. She let out a pained groan while he repositioned the blankets over her. Zuko then pulled up a stool and sat on it.

"Are you ok?"

Katara nodded, but she kept her eyes pressed shut.

"On a scale from one to ten, one being the least possible amount of pain and ten being excruciating pain, how much pain are you in?" Zuko asked.

Katara thought for a moment before she replied, "seven? Maybe a seven."

"Ok, I'll get you something for the pain... Do you mind if I take a look at the bruising?"

"W-what?" Katara stuttered out.

In the Southern Water Tribe, and especially the Northern Water Tribe, in was considered to be incredibly indecent if a man were to touch a woman if she wasn't his wife or part of his family. Katara had all of the ideals, traditions, and etiquette ingrained into her since she was a small child. She understood the practicality of the situation, but she wasn't sure if she should.

Sensing Katara's apprehensiveness, Zuko reminded her of earlier that morning. "I just want to check on the bruise, I'm worried about all of the internal bleeding. Don't worry, I'm a perfectly honorable guy, I didn't do anything to you earlier, did I?"

Katara blushed as she remembered the warm sensation he brought her when he had his chest pressed against her back.

"Ok, fine." She conceded.

With her permission, Zuko slipped part of her robe off, only exposing what needed to be exposed. Upon seeing her bruise, Zuko shook his head at the size and color of it. Katara looked down at her body, and she took in a breath when she saw just how bad the bruising was. About three fourths of her body from just underneath her bust to her hipbones was covered in an angry looking, purple and blue bruise.

Zuko took his fingers and pressed them onto her skin that was surrounding the bruised skin.

Katara took in a short gasp from the heat of his hands and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm testing to see if you have any soreness of pain in areas next to the bruise. I'm trying to assess just how badly you're hurt. Also, I would like to see if you have any broken bones."

Zuko then gently laid the palms of his hands onto her bruise. The water tribe girl couldn't help but find some relief from the warmth emitting off his hands.

"You've got some pretty warm hands," _And a warm body if I recall correctly._

The sailor made a small amused noise, "It happens when you're a firebender."

"You're a fire bender?" Katara asked, now more alert and excited.

"Yup!"

"Wow, I've never met another bender before in my life, much less a fire bender." She was fascinated by the discovery.

"Really? You don't have benders in the south? And what do you mean by 'another?' Are you a water bender?"

"The one and only water bender of the Southern Water Tribe although I'm not very good..." she replied to his questions.

During their conversation, Zuko kept poking, prodding, and pressing her body, trying to get a sense of the damage done to her body. Luckily, the conversation helped take the girl's mind from this.

"I've only met one water bender before in my life," admitted Zuko. "You're the first person from the Southern Water Tribe that I've met, and also the first water tribe woman I've ever met. You guys don't exactly travel all that much."

"It's true!" Katara agreed. "And it is so frustrating! I've spent seventeen years of my life in the south, and I was actually on my way to visit the Northern Water Tribe for the first time in my life."

"Well you sure got unlucky," Katara looked at him confusedly making Zuko continue. "I mean, what are your chances? First time you ever sail away from home, you hit a storm, fall off your boat, and wake up injured on a Fire Nation Navy ship."

Katara thought about what Zuko had just said to her. Yes, it did seem to be a very unlucky string of events; however, she wasn't sure yet if she should feel unlucky or if she should be counting her lucky stars.

"I bet you would never be allowed to set foot on a ship again if your parents found out about this," Zuko half-heartedly joked.

Hearing that made Katara tense up, and in doing so, a wave of pain washed over her. Without thinking, she grabbed the fire bender's hands and placed them onto her stomach, spreading warm relief through her. This made Zuko smile, but he took his hands away too soon for Katara's liking.

"I know heat feels good, but the best thing we can do for your bruise is to put ice on it. It'll help with the swelling."

Katara made a face of annoyance at that, but she remembered her mother saying the same thing to her many times before when she was growing up.

"Hold on a moment, I'm going to mix up a pain killer concoction. I'll bring you some food to eat before you drink it, and I'll bring something cold to put on your bruise."

Katara was surprised by what he had just said, and before he could leave, she grabbed his arm. Zuko looked back at her with a confused look.

"Wait, you're going to make me an elixir?" She had never heard of a man that could do that before.

"Yeah, but don't worry, I'm pretty good at making them."

"I thought you were a sailer in the navy."

"I am," Zuko wasn't sure what that had to do with anything.

"How do you know anything about pain killers? And now that I think of it, you seem to know what you're doing when it comes to my injuries?" She genuinely wanted to know how he knew how to take care of her. In her tribe, warriors did not practice the healing arts.

"Oh, I'm actually training to become a doctor." With that, Zuko excused himself from the room with the promise that he would be back soon.

This amazed Katara! Had a guy said that back at her tribe, he would have been mocked and laughed at for choosing such a womanly profession. The Fire Nation boy had begun to pique her interest more and more as she got to know him. She knew that their cultures were going to be vastly different, but that would have been a shameful and unacceptable choice for a boy to make in either of the tribes.

While Katara waited for Zuko to come back, she thought through all of the events that had happened to her that led her up to this point. Here she was... Breaking all sorts of rules that her tribe had placed on her, and being alone with this boy was so taboo, her family would cry if they ever found out. She wants to be a good girl, she really does, but Katara can't but help feel satisfaction knowing that she's rebelling against her tribe's customs. It's funny what a near death experience can bring to a girl with few options.

Zuko came back into the room about ten minutes later with his arms full. He clumsily placed a tray of food onto the bedstand, and trying to keep the rest of his arms' contents from falling onto the ground. When he stabilized them, he placed a small vial onto the nightstand as well.

"I have a block of ice that's wrapped in a towel here," he said, showing her the covered ice. "I'm going to slip it under your robe now, feel free to reposition it into a more comfortable position."

Katara was not a fan of how cold it felt, but she was going to be a big girl and not say anything. Afterall, this was for her best interest.

"Thanks," Katara said.

"I know it's not the most appetizing and flavorful of foods, but if you can, please eat as much as possible. You're stomach will thank you after you drink your medicine."

"Yes, mom." Katara replied with a cheeky smile.

This made Zuko roll his eyes and smile. He then helped her eat her soup and bread that he brought her. To Katara's pleasant surprise, the food was very flavorful. Water tribe food was usualy bland and minimal because very few plants were able to thrive in the cold, and imported spices were expensive. Katara was hungry, so she was able to finish her food in a few minutes.

"All done?" Zuko asked when he noticed the empty bowl.

"It was really good! I've never tasted anything like that before. What was it?"

"It was a seafood chowder that consisted of whatever seafood we caught today, potatoes, cream, oils and spices, and some corn that we just picked up from an Earth Kingdom village. It's kinda like a Fire Nation meets Earth Kingdom chowder."

"I think I could get used to this type of food. If you think this isn't very flavorful, never try water tribe foods." Katara joked.

"I'll remember that," Zuko said with a quirky smile. "Alright, miss patient, it's time to take your medicine. If all goes well, it should put you to sleep while it takes away your pain."

"But I don't want to go to sleep yet."

"Hmm?"

"I want to talk to you more."

This made Zuko happy. He rested his right hand on the top of her head, and then followed her hair down the side of her face.

"You're in pain right now, and you really should drink this," he shook the vial in her face to add emphasis. "I want to continue talking to you too, but lets get you better first."

"Fine," Katara said.

She found the amount that he cared for her well-being to be completely adorable, and she couldn't say no to the worried expression that was on his face. She reached out and took the bottle from him, sniffed it suspiciously, and then downed the liquid in one gulp.

"Good," Zuko complimented her.

"How long will it take for it to work?"

"I made this one nice and strong for you, so I would guess somewhere between fifteen to twenty minutes."

"Ok, until then, I want to get to know you better." Katara said.

"Sounds good to me, what do you want to know?"

"How old are you?"

"I'll be turning nineteen in about a month, what about yourself?"

"You're younger than what I expected, not that that's a bad thing. I just turned seventeen a couple weeks ago."

"You're seventeen? I've heard that water tribe girls get married much earlier than Fire Nation girls, are you married?"

Katara had to hold back from scoffing at his question.

"I'm actually the oldest female in my tribe to be married. Unfortunately, my luck has run out."

"What do you mean by that?" Zuko had always been curious in the enigmatic culture of the water tribes. If only they weren't so isolated!

"I've gotten away without having a betrothed for years, but close to a week ago my parents just informed me that I'll be getting married in four months." She told him in an unenthusiastic manner.

"Um... Congratulations?" Zuko wasn't sure how to respond.

"Hardly, and it's hardly what I want."

"Then don't do it."

Katara couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh in response to Zuko.

"You don't understand, things might be different in the Fire Nation, but in the Southern Water Tribe, I don't get a choice in who I marry or when I marry."

Zuko was taken aback by this, he had heard about arranged marriages in the water tribes, spirits they weren't too uncommon in his homeland, but he never knew how little control the girls had in the agreement in the water tribes.

"Is that why you decided to stay here instead of continuing to the north?"

Yeah, I figured that... That..." Katara struggled to stay awake. "I figured that if these are really the last couple months I have, I don't want to spend them in the north where I'll be living the rest of my life at. I want to spend them visiting other countries, meeting new people, and just have some type of self-discovery before it all gets taken away... away from... from me."

With that, the mood in the room became much more depressing as both teenagers thought about the waterbender's impending doom.

"You know what, Katara?"

"Mm?" Katara groggily replied.

"I'm going to make sure you have the best couple months before your wedding, you can count on it."

"Ok," she mumbled as the drugs put her to sleep.

* * *

Katara woke up to the sounds of the waves bashing against the ship and the shouts of some of the sailors that were outside of her room. She could hear Zuko laughing just outside of the door at something that another sailor had said to him. When the laughter died down, she heard her door knob turn, and in walked her favorite firebender. He also happened to be the only firebender she knew, but that was besides the point.

"Morning!" He said cheerfully to her.

"Ugh, how early is it?" Came her eloquent reply.

"Judging from the sun, I'd say it's about eight in the morning, sleepy head."

"I'm water tribe, I'm supposed to be sleepy in the morning. How can you be so giddy so early in the morning?"

"Early in the morning?" Zuko asked. "I've been up since around five this morning."

To Katara, that sounded like the worst possible torture someone could inflict onto her.

"Five?! That's so early! How can you do that?"

"Firebender, I rise with the sin." Zuko said with a little wink.

Katara just shook her head at that.

"I have something I wanted to tell you," Zuko said, taking a seat on the stool.

"Oh?"

"Do you remember our conversation from last night? About how you want to travel and see the world before you get tied down?"

Katara could vaguely remember the conversation, but she was now intrigued.

"Yes?"

"Well I talked to the captain of the ship, and I convinced him to drop us off at Kyoshi Island. It is off course from the Fire Nation, but apparently several other sailors wanted to be dropped off this as well. He agreed, so we will be making our way there."

"Kyoshi Island? I've heard about it, but I don't know that much about it."

"You'll like it there, I think it's a great first stop for our trip." Zuko was confident that she would like it.

"First stop?"

"Yup, like I said last night, I'm going to make these months the best you've ever had. We're going to tour the earth kingdoms, and then we'll end the journey at the Fire Nation."

Katara felt her eyes began to moisten. She was touched that this boy she barely knew was about to drop everything and take her on the adventure she had always wanted.

"Thank you," was all she could say.

"It's no problem," Zuko could tell she was close to crying, and he wanted to prevent that. "You'll probably love seeing the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Kyoshi Warriors?"

"They are an exclusively female bunch of fighters that are well trained in stealth and martial arts. They are rather amazing."

"Female warriors?!" This shocked the water tribe girl.

"Some of the best in the world." Zuko elaborated.

"I've never heard of such a thing. Where I come from, women aren't allowed to learn anything that could be considered offensive."

"That's a real shame," Zuko said disapprovingly. "That's pretty much taking out half of the populations abled bodies, and some of the best warriors I know are women."

"I'd love to see them," Katara said sadly, thinking about her situation.

"You know what? When we get there, I'm going to make sure you get some private lessons from them. That way you can kick you future husband's ass if he ever acts up. Put him in his place, mhmm."

Katara laughed and smiled at Zuko. Fire Nation boys sure were different than Southern Water Tribe boys. And Katara liked that.

* * *

**And that's chapter two! Isn't Zuko such a cutie pie? Please R&R!**


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